In a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by a professional South Florida illustrator, Joseph Davis, the artist alleges he sketched characters and wrote a story in 1999 and later sent it to DreamWorks for consideration, after being introduced to an executive from the company by his aunt. Now watch Hollywood corrupt the case in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

It appears, as in the Missy Chase Lapine case, they gave him the standard industry rejection bit, waited a little, then shortly after, used his work without permission.

Missy Chase Lapine’s work was ripped off by Jessica Seinfeld

It also sounds like what happened with the Finding Nemo infringement case. The author, Frank Le Calvez, submitted the copyrighted work for consideration to the Hollywood studio, received a rejection letter, and once again, shortly after, they used his work without permission or payment.

Therefore, Joseph Davis is not the first person this has happened to. Quite a few copyright infringement lawsuits have been born in this manner.

1995’s “Pierrot Le Poisson Clown”

2003’s “Finding Nemo” rip off

For years I have warned people via my sites not to send Hollywood studios or music industry labels anything through the mail. They’ll simply open it and if they like it, change the title of the work and a few other minor details, in vain attempts at masking the infringement, then take full credit and royalties for it.

This is known as willful criminal copyright infringement and it is thoroughly illegal. But they don’t care about the law. It’s an industry of thieves.

If you are adamant about sending your work in for consideration, get a lawyer to present it. It’s not a guarantee your work won’t be infringed, but it improves your chances of it not happening.

South Florida: Illustrator files lawsuit against DreamWorks

May 16, 2008 – A professional illustrator from South Florida who says he created a story about animals who escape from New York City’s Central Park Zoo has sued Dreamworks Animation SKG, claiming the studio’s 2005 film Madagascar amounts to copyright infringement.

In his lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court, Joseph Davis of Boca Raton said he used his signature style of animation in 1999 to illustrate his Animals Night Out story about four zoo animals who undergo “a series of misadventures” in New York.

Davis’ aunt introduced him to a Dreamworks executive, who after receiving the original version of his story, indicated the Glendale, Calif., studio was not interested in a business relationship with Davis, according to the lawsuit.

Six years later, the animated children’s film Madagascar premiered in theaters.